


Remnant

by Jinryuu



Series: Scars of the Star [1]
Category: Mabinogi (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I just wanted to know why crystal bears drop gear, I mean how'd it fit in there, oh yeah this world is fantasy, thank you Ame for the original idea about the 1st gen captains, this started as a joke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 16:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinryuu/pseuds/Jinryuu
Summary: Avalon holds many secrets: within its walls, its people, and its creatures.





	Remnant

There was a terrible stench in the field outside Avalon Gate. It smelled like carrion, and… something else.

**“Captain, do we really have to do this? Isn’t there ** ** _anything_ ** ** else we could do?”**

**“Now Dai, I’m trusting you with an important job. It’s the sort of thing I can’t assign to just anybody.”**

  
**“But ** ** _Captain_ ** **, it’s--!”**

Both of them looked up when they heard Talvish approach. Dai stood several feet away, looking green in the face and like he would rather be anywhere else. The Milletian was on her knees next to a gutted beast - an enormous Crystal Bear. Her arms up to the elbow were spattered with blood, and what looked like…

Well, that certainly explained the smell. 

**“I didn’t expect to see this on my day off.” **

He smiled, trying to lighten the mood; Dai looked like he was about to turn and run, and the Milletian was clearly embarrassed at being found in this state. She paused, as if thinking of what to say next, then gave a little nod.

**“Talvish, can I speak with you for a moment?”**

She kept her distance as they made their way to the stream, staying downwind from him out of consideration. He could see her expression was troubled, even as she washed the blood off in the running water. It had to be serious, since he had known her to keep a neutral mask even through some rough missions. The captain should never show fear; the Milletian was a quick learner. The squires of Baltane had grown to see her as one of their own, instead of an outsider. Shuan's reports had been almost entirely positive.

Positive, if one disregarded the figures underlined in red on the budget, followed by several exclamation points.

**“I sensed something from one of the crystal beasts. There were lots of zombies in the area, so I brought it back here to have a closer look.”**

_ You just picked it up and brought it back home? Are you crazy? _

He blinked; for a moment, it was as if he was hearing Kaelic reprimand him for bringing back the glittering shards of the first Apostle he’d killed. Shards that would later be used to strengthen weapons and tools for the first Alban Knights.

**“So you brought it back here... did you find anything?”**

She nodded. Her one good eye was grave; the other was hidden under an eye patch.

**“I think you’ll need to see this.”**

\---

There was something lying in the grass beside the beast. Dai kept up a steady stream of complaints, but he’d managed to clean it up enough so it was recognizable as metal. A suit of armor, in fact.

It looked vaguely familiar.

The leather parts had rotted away, but the steel plate itself remained relatively unchanged. All the Knights wore gear that had been strengthened with Divine Light. From time to time, Kaelic had even managed to infuse erg into armor, worn by the captains.

This was one of those special cases. Talvish felt his fingers shaking as he worked at the bindings. On the inside, scratched but still faintly visible, was the unit's crest.

**“Talvish? Is something wrong?”**

The Milletian was looking at him with concern; it must be odd for him to be able to handle such an ancient piece of equipment with perfect familiarity.

**“It’s similar to the armor used by the Knights in the past. I was checking for markings that would indicate ownership.”**

Dai had washed his hands in the meantime, and now approached them with a wary expression.

**“It does look a bit like one of ours, yeah… but I don't recognize this crest, or the other markings.” ** He frowned. **“Maybe there was another unit we didn't know of?”**

Talvish traced the crest with a gloved finger, thinking. There was a very fine line here as to what he could tell them.

**"There are faint traces of color here. Blue, I think… and black.**"

Dai gave him a puzzled look. The Milletian looked from one face to the other - as a new recruit under very unusual circumstances, all this information was new to her.

Of course they would be confused - the Baltane they knew, no longer used this crest. A single blue ribbon on a field of black, twisted in quarters into a knot that looped back on itself. It signified continuity through the seasons; duty and dedication. Only one captain had worn this crest on his armor.

_ Midir. _

Midir Ó Cearbhaill had been the first captain of Baltane. He was also the least in terms of divine power; Kaelic in particular had been against the idea of giving him a position of rank. 

_ But Tagar and I felt that he was worthy. _

He was the youngest among the first generation of captains. At the time, Talvish had not realized what would happen if there was a visible gap between his officers; he valued the dedication Midir displayed in carrying out his duties. This was a man who'd not only scaled a cliff in the middle of a thunderstorm, but spent the whole night without lighting a fire, so as not to alarm the heretics he was tracking. He never uttered so much as a word of complaint, and when he fell ill Tagar had to order him to go to the healers. As a knight, he was reliable; Talvish had felt he could trust him.

As an officer, it was a different matter. Baltane had faith in their captain, but the rest of the knights did not. Baltane was viewed as the lowest of the units; an uncomfortable silence would fall whenever one of its members entered the room.

There were several scuffles that started from petty arguments, and he reprimanded his officers for the lack of discipline. He tried to ensure that the assigned tasks for each squad rotated on a fair basis, but more often than not, it was Baltane that ended up with the worst missions.

It was Baltane that had been on patrol duty in the outer borders, on the day the Sacred Six breached Avalon.

**“There are marks here and here - puncture wounds. For the edges to have melted like this, perhaps it was a flaming sword.”**

There had been no warning. The Arthuan scouts in the towers were the first to spot the incoming wave of heretics; the Prophets had managed to create a veil that muffled the presence of their unholy light. They sounded the alarm, but Eiler and Heruin were on patrol in the outskirts of Avalon; Elved was in the sanctum. Arthuan faced the first wave of heretics alone, and paid dearly for it; four in ten had died that day.

But even the losses of Arthuan paled in comparison to Baltane.

The unit was completely wiped out. Baltane simply ceased to exist - Talvish had brought up the idea of transferring knights from other units, and the reaction had been enough to convince him not to. They believed it was cursed; every last knight of Baltane had been slaughtered.

But not their captain. Midir had simply disappeared.

There was nothing to indicate what had happened to him - they never found so much as his sword. It was a banned topic among the rest of the knights, and among the high council it was an extremely heated subject. Kaelic had refrained from saying _ I told you so_, but Talvish could almost feel his anguish at having allowed the promotion in the first place.

As for himself… despite how everything looked, he still believed in Midir. He had faith in his loyalty.

Now this.

Here was proof that Midir did not betray them. Midir had died to defend Avalon, along with the rest of his unit. They were faced with overwhelming force, but they had fought to the end.

He wished he could show this to Kaelic; it was one of their arguments that had never been resolved. It would bring him relief, knowing that the young captain had not been a traitor after all.

But Kaelic was long dead. So was Tagar. So was everyone else.

**“Baltane. This belonged to a captain of Baltane. Fairly old, I’d think, but it seems like it was well kept before it ended up with the bear.”**

Yes, Midir had been careful with his equipment, as he had been with all his duties. Fastidious, even.

_ Faithful. _

**“I believe we can restore this. The condition isn’t too bad; it was well-made, and the steel is sound. It would be giving the armor a new life, don’t you think, Talvish?”**

The Milletian had her hand on the edge of the plate, examining it closely. The elf girl, with her slight frame, did not look like someone who’d been hailed as the Savior of Erinn - and yet she was. A traveler from the stars who had risen to battle with gods and dragons, using her immortality as a means to protect others.

It was ironic - because he had chosen an outsider to lead the new Baltane, she could not be held to the same standards as the other captains. Her methods were baffling and unorthodox, but the results were undeniable, especially among the more headstrong of the squires. Eirlys had grown more considerate of her peers; Kaour had learned to cooperate with others in a team; and Elsie actually responded when spoken to. Even Dai, despite all his complaints, had carried out his task instead of escaping while they were at the stream.

The animosity shown towards the first captain of Baltane was thankfully absent.

She, at least, might understand; but it was not the time to explain everything to her. Not yet.

_ A new life… _

He could not help a faint smile.

**“I think that’s a wonderful idea.”**

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/184534800@N08/48741343802/in/dateposted-public/)

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a 'hey, I wonder why Crystal Bears drop sht' question, which Aura turned into 'drops -> droppings', and then fool that I am, I decided to make it a writing challenge.


End file.
